Happy Father's Day

No matther if your kids are human, furry, wet, slimy, or tropical, here's too all the dads!

Pet Seat Belts Save Lives

Traveling with pets has never been more popular amongst pet parents. Traveling by car is by far the most common mode of pet travel and dogs are the most frequent travelers. "Want to go for a ride?" is music to a dog's ears. They go just about everywhere with their parents...running errands around town, to beaches and parks, going on family vacations, and staying in pet friendly hotels. If pets are welcome - they come along! Unfortunately, most pet parents do not properly secure their pets when riding with them in their vehicles. They love their pets and would do anything for them...but probably don't realize that they are putting their pets at great risk.

Did you know that at only 35 mph, a 60 lb. pet becomes a 2,700 pound projectile and that unsecured pets commonly escape from vehicles and run off post-accident? How often are you distracted by your excited or rambunctious pet while driving? Did you know that driver distraction causes more accidents than anything else?

Securing your pet during car travel is essential to ensuring their safety. There are many ways to properly secure your pet in a vehicle. Buckling them up in pet seat belt is a very easy and affordable way to help ensure that your pet stays safe while traveling in your vehicle. Pet seat belts range in price from about $9 - $40. They come in different sizes to accommodate most all sized pets and most are adjustable.

Most pet seat belts attach onto your vehicle's seat belt. Some come with leads that have a buckle at one end that fits into your vehicle's seat belt receptacle, and the other end of the lead has a clip that attaches onto your pet's harness. Other pet seat belts have leads that have a loop at one end in which you put your vehicle's seat belt strap through and the other end has a clip which attaches to a harness. If you choose to give your pet more freedom in the back seat, you can get a pet seat belt that has a zip line which attaches between the two rear passenger side handles, creating a tether which attaches to your pet's harness.

No matter what type of pet seat belt you choose, you must always use a harness - never a collar. A collar can easily choke or strangle your pet if you stop fast or are in an accident. In addition, pet's should never ride in the front seat. Deployed airbags can seriously injure pets.

With pet travel growing by leaps and bounds, pet parents must step up and be sure to take the necessary measures to ensure their pet's safety - pet seat belts are an effective way to do this. Safe travels and please buckle up your precious pets!

content from www.tripswithpetscom

Can Color affect your dog's mood?

There have been numerous studies on colors and humans. But what about colors and their effects on dogs? According to an article from Pet Centric, colors may affect your dog too.

The first step in answering that question is to know what colors dogs see. Dogs do see colors, but the colors they see aren’t as vivid or as many as we see. Most experts agree that while they can’t see reds and greens, dogs do see most other colors — including blacks, whites, grays, yellows and blues. That means a toy that looks red or green to you doesn’t look the same to your dog, it probably looks dark gray.

How do we know dogs see colors? The dog’s eye — and the human eye — have special light catching cells called cones. But since your dog has fewer cones than you, his color vision won’t be as intense as yours.

In a study at the University of California — Santa Barbara, dogs were shown three light panels in a row. Two of the panels were the same color while the third was different. If the dog could identify the one that was different and press that panel, he was rewarded with a treat.

Using this method, the study suggested that dogs see the world in mostly yellows, blues and grays. They see green, yellow and orange as a shade of yellow. Violet and blue both appear blue.

To see if color impacts your dog’s moods and behavior, try your own experiments. Red, orange and yellow are stimulating to humans but blue and violet are calming. Toss your dog two toys — one yellow and one blue — and see if the yellow toy inspires a more energetic playtime. Or the next time your dog gets anxious from a thunderstorm or noisy fireworks, try exposing him to soothing colors. (Of course, any serious anxiety issues should be discussed with your veterinarian.)

While most of the economy limps along, the pet industry is thriving. It is estimated that $50.84 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. in 2011. America's and the world's love affair with their pets is evidenced by their spending habits. Dog and cat parent's spending is at an all time high...and much of it is on pet travel expenses. That's right - falling in line right behind pet health & boarding expenses, dog and cat parents are opening up their pocket books to take Fido and Fluffy to pet friendly hotels and buy them those much need pet travel supplies.

An online survey of pet parents who travel with their dogs and cats to uncover what they look for when sniffing out dog and cat friendly hotels and accommodations. Here are their top 5.

1. Pet Fees: Even though pet parents aren't afraid to open up their wallets for their cats and dogs, they still want a deal. When choosing pet friendly hotels or accommodations, pet parents compare pet fees when determining where to book their stay. Many look negatively on pet friendly accommodations that charge high pet fees, as they equate high pet fees as "not pet friendly."
   
2. Pet Amenities: Pet welcome baskets, pet beds, and pet bowls are among the little touches that go a long way with pet parents. To most, the way to their hearts is through their pets. Pet friendly hotels and accommodations that offer these perks to pamper Fido and Fluffy factor into their decision of where to stay. Pet amenities become more of a factor for longer stays or vacation stays. Dog walking, pet sitting and pet concierge services are among the amenities that become more important to pet parents for these types of stays.
   
3. Location: Pet parents are less apt to drive off the beaten path for accommodations when traveling with their pet. When they are booking overnight stays on their way to their final destination, they will select pet friendly accommodations closest to their route and are willing to pay a little bit more for it. Cat pet parents in particular have a stronger preference to not drive any further than they have to. Generally, cats aren't as seasoned travelers as dogs and aren't as happy traveling. Hence, the less time in the car, the better.
   
4. Pet Policy: Accommodations and hotels that allow pets, but whose pet policies list numerous restrictions are perceived as "not pet friendly." Pet parents are less likely to book their stay at accommodations whose pet policy is loaded with restrictions and penalties. They seek out accommodations that welcome their pets and therefore tend to pass on accommodations with overly restrictive pet policies.
   
5. Loyalty to Pet Friendly Hotels Chains: A very interesting habit of pet parents is that once they find a pet friendly hotel chain that takes care of their dog or cat to their liking they will tend to book at that pet friendly hotel chain even at times when they are not traveling with their pet. As mentioned before, the way to their hearts is through their pets!

As the world's love affair with their pets grows, pet parents will continue to flex their financial muscle...raising the bar for pet friendly hotels and pet travel.

Info from Trips with pets. For more information, visit www.tripswithpetscom.

Liquid Dog Treat

I've seen a lot of different treats at a lot of different events, but this may be one of the first liquid dog treats.  It's called Lickety Stik and is being billed as a nutritious way to give your dog a tasty treat. It is an on-the-go container with a ball top that apparently delivers just the right amount to your dog. 

Haven't tried one yet but would be interested to hear from anyone who has.

Moving With Your Pet?

Top 10 Pre-Moving Day Tips for Pets

If you're planning a move with your pet, it's important to do some homework and be prepared. Moving has the potential to create a lot of anxiety for pets...particularly for older pets, most cats, and skittish pets. Pre-move preparation is the key to helping ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible for your pet and you. Here are the top 10 pre-moving day tips for pets: 1. Pet Laws and Regulations: Become familiar with the state/province leash laws, pet ordinances, and pet licensing requirements. For state/province laws, contact the State Department of Agriculture or State Veterinarian's office. For local ordinances, contact the City Clerks' office, local humane organization, or animal control facility in the area in which you'll be relocating. If you are planning to rent a house or apartment, be sure to carefully review the lease to ensure that pets are allowed before you move in. 2. A Trip to Your Pet's Vet: It's important to be sure that your pet is up to date on all vaccinations and has a thorough check-up before you move. Get a copy of all your pet's medical records (as their new vet will need them), as well as a health certificate. If your pet is on any medication, make sure you get it refilled. If your pet is not a good traveler, discuss this with your vet. If after trying behavior modification training to no avail, your vet may recommend some medications or natural calming supplements to helps ease your pet's travel anxiety. 3. Secure a New Vet: Be sure to have a new veterinarian lined up before you move. Ask your current vet for a referral or research online for new veterinarian. 4. New Identification Tag: Get a new pet ID tag that includes your pet's name, your name, new address and telephone number. 5. Routine, Routine Routine: Pets are creatures of habit and love routine. Do your best to not throw off their routine by gradually packing over a period of time. The less commotion and more normalcy, the better! 6. Secure Your Pet in Car: Have a plan for how you're going to properly secure your pet in your vehicle. This is a crucial element of pet travel that is not taken seriously enough. The reality is that hundreds of pets are injured or even killed each year because they are allowed free reign in cars, trucks, RVs, and SUVs. Even more real is the toll in human life and property damage caused when an "enthusiastic" animal distracts a driver, leading to an accident. Vehicle pet barriers, pet seat belts, pet car seats, and pet travel crates are all excellent ways to keep your pet (and you) safe when traveling in your vehicle. It's important to familiarize your pet with the vehicle restraint of choice weeks or months before traveling so that they are comfortable. 7. Secure Pet Friendly Accommodations in Advance: If your move is such that you'll need to make overnight stops along the way, be sure to secure these accommodations before you hit the road. Pet policies do change some times without notice and accommodations may be limited so it's recommended that you book pet friendly hotels in advance. 8. Plan Ahead for Air Travel: Check with your veterinarian and the airline if your pet will be flying. The airline will require a health certificate issued by your vet. You'll also want to purchase an appropriate airline approved pet carrier. Be sure you take the time to familiarize your pet with it at least one month prior to travel. 9. Calm Energy: Even though moving is typically a crazy and hectic time for you, it's important to keep yourself as calm and relaxed as possible. We all know that our pets sense our energy and when we're amped up, they get stress. So, whatever works for you to keep your sense of calm, do it! 10. Tell Your Pet: This may seem out there to some, BUT, have a talk with your pet letting them know about the move. Let them know what to expect on moving day, about the new house, the yard, etc... If nothing else, it will make you feel better, which in turn will help your pet. Moving to a new home with your pet doesn't have to be stressful if you are prepared and plan ahead! For more information, visit www.tripswithpetscom. TripsWithPets.com is the premier online guide for pet travel-offering resources to ensure pets are welcome, happy and safe when traveling. Visit www.tripswithpets.com to find a directory of pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the U.S. and Canada, airline policies, pet travel tips, pet travel supplies, along with other pet travel resources.

What's in a Sniff?

What does your dog's sniff tell him? Check out this articleFrom Petcentric for some interesting tidbits.

Bob Barker Building will be PETA's West Coast hub

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bob Barker's name has been attached to a game show and a cause for decades. Now it's attached to a building, too.

For decades, the former game show host urged "Price Is Right" viewers to spay or neuter their pets. After he retired from the show, he donated $2.5 million to renovate a Los Angeles building that will become the West Coast headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA officials and Barker will be on hand Thursday for a red carpet, all vegan, dog-friendly grand opening.

The Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard has a new art deco façade, a rebuilt public sidewalk and eco-friendly cork floors, and will have rooftop solar panels.

It will house PETA's media, marketing, youth outreach and campaign departments.

Goldfish - Classic Super Bowl Ad

Another classic pet related Super Bowl commercial. In this one, "Sparky" the goldfish plays dead until a boy holds a Pepsi over his tank and he performs tricks. Dad is clueless, though, and flushes the lifeless fish (a common practice).

Later, we see Sparky in the ocean doing back flips for a fisherman.

Another example of how pets help sell products.